The Pelican Island Audubon Society is facing public scrutiny after it allegedly honored a local man who created a propaganda video containing misinformation about weed killer spraying in Sebastian.

According to Peter Hinck, the nonprofit organization gave him the Environmental Citizen’s Award for 2021 and encouraged people to watch his video, “The Tales of Two Lakes,” on YouTube. The award pictured states, “Promote healthy water environments” and asks people to watch the video, which compares a pond treated with a herbicide and one in Sebastian. It remains unclear which lake Hinck is referring to.

However, experts say Hinck is attempting to compare a lake with a pond, two distinct types of water bodies. In the video, Hinck claims the Historic Park Pond on Schumann Drive was sprayed with weed killer on its outer banks, and alleges the other body of water, which he calls a lake, has never been sprayed. He never specifies the location of this alleged lake.

Hinck then suggests that the sprayed pond on Schumann Drive experienced continued algae growth and a problem with “muck” on the bottom. We revisited the pond and observed no algae growth since our last inspection.

While recording the video of the Historic Park Pond on Schumann Drive, Hinck focused on a small area of green substance in the pond. However, he did not use similar close-up shots of the alleged lake. All camera angles of the lake were distant shots.

The Facts

We contacted Brian Benton, Sebastian’s Leisure Services Director, who connected us with the contractor responsible for spraying the Historic Park Pond on Schumann Drive.

“The pond was treated once with the herbicide Clearcast and a surfactant Sun Energy. Clearcast is a slow-acting herbicide that has very good results. The algae in the pond is from the decaying cattails, as well as clippings from the mowers. I looked at the pond yesterday, and the cattails are breaking down nicely. Submerged vegetation in the pond is very limited, chara, niad, hydrilla etc. For the time being, there will be extra life in the pond due to the food source “cattails.” The pond will clear over time if it is well maintained. After the nutrient level finally bottoms, the pond would be a good candidate for inoculation with native plants more fitting, Spikrush, Duck Potato, bulrush and pickerelweed. Cattails should not be allowed to dominate urban ponds for many reasons. Safety and seed bank reduction. The algae is doing its job and should not be treated at this point,” City Engineer Kenneth Griffin said.

Scientific Inaccuracies in Video

Kim Haigler, the Environmental Planner/GIS Specialist for the City of Sebastian, watched Hinck’s video and found it to contain scientific inaccuracies, beginning with the title “The Tales of Two Lakes.”

“I cannot speak of the undisclosed second ‘lake’ presented in the video; however, the Historic Park Pond is most definitely a pond and not a lake. At less than an acre in size and approximate 6-foot depth, light penetrates the substrate throughout, and there is no opportunity for stratification. I circled the entire lake and observed no foul odor indicative of a harmful algae bloom. A handful of large aquatic turtles watched me from the water, and fish were evident as they splashed when I approached the shore for a sample. A little blue heron was feeding along the shoreline for the duration of my visit. There was a variety of submerged vegetation visible along the shoreline, including naira and chara, but no singular dominant species. The open water was also a light green tint in color. There were no dead fish or aquatic animals of any size observed along the shoreline,” Haigler said.

“The ‘algae bloom’ shown in the video actually only covers about 20 square feet of the pond, located in the northwest nook (windward) where the water is the most still. It has not formed a thick mat. This algae was also present only within a few inches of the dead vegetation in other areas of the pond. I collected a sample of the surface algae material, and when observed under a microscope, there were at least three different species of microscopic green algae and duckweed present. All were fairly equal in abundance,” Haigler explained.

So, what is the bad “muck” that Hinck talked about in his video?

“The ‘muck’ presented in the video is a natural indicator of a hydric (wet) soil. Upon my observation, the muck had a greasy texture, which is indicative of healthy soil microbes breaking down organic material. The muck is approximately 3 inches thick, which also is healthy and normal,” Haigler added.

Furthermore, Haigler said the pond on Schumann does not connect to the Indian River Lagoon nor the St. Sebastian River.

Debunking Misinformation

The video by Hinck prompted residents to contact Sebastian Daily since we already debunked most of the prior misinformation about the Historic Park Pond near Schumann Drive.

We wanted to know the location of the lake that Hinck alleges was never sprayed. Unfortunately, he declined to tell us. We then informed Hinck that our readers want to know because they believe it’s essential, but he still refused.

“I am so glad to see that your readers are so interested in the lake video. Please tell your readers to do as I suggested in the video and go look at lakes and canals around them and compare sprayed to the non-sprayed bodies of water,” Hinck told Sebastian Daily.

“Tell them to look for a lake with green and growing vegetation in and around the shoreline,” Hinck added.

Diana Bolton, who describes herself as an environmentalist, has made similar claims in multiple City Council meetings. While not all environmental advocates spread misinformation, such instances raise concerns and prompt local residents to question the credibility of those making such assertions.

Conclusion

Given the lack of basis for Hinck’s claims, we can only conclude that the Pelican Island Audubon Society honored him for creating a propaganda video that could mislead the residents of Sebastian. Despite repeated attempts to contact the Pelican Island Audubon Society by phone, email, their website’s contact form, and Facebook, we have received no response.

Without water tests or control over the alleged lake, it’s unclear how Hinck could know whether it was ever sprayed. Scientific methodology requires controlled conditions, and without them, the video promotes propaganda and misinformation.

Hinck’s “gut feeling,” as he described it in the video, does not constitute scientific evidence. Where is the data to support his assertions?

The City of Sebastian has discontinued the use of glyphosate (found in Roundup) and now employs best management practices, consistent with other municipalities and counties throughout Florida. Currently, the City of Sebastian utilizes alternative methods such as mechanical harvesting and is exploring other products.

If the Pelican Island Audubon Society indeed presented Hinck with an Environmental Citizen’s Award, they did so without any scientific basis. This undermines their credibility.